Deep well pump



y 4, 1939- w. s. WHITCOMB 75 DEEP WELL PUMP Filed May 1-1; 1937 I IN VENTOR BY Mhf'r ea S WZ/Y'CQm ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to air driven pumping apparatus adapted for use in a variety of pumping situations but more particularly valuable as a means for pumping from deep wells where the water level lies at a considerable distance below the surface of the ground.

Among the objects of the invention are; to provide an improved pumping construction par ticularly well suited for being inserted within tubular well casings to a considerable distance below the level of the ground and to build such construction upon principles which will insure a long lived structure and a dependable operation; to furnish an improved sectional pump casing construction which can be lengthened or shortened at will in order to provide more or less pumping power; to provide an improved assemblage of stationary and rotatable turbine pumping members; and to provide an air driven pump construction wherein the air after performing the function of rotating a turbine-carrying shaft will be discharged within the body of water to be pumped out thus lightening said body of water and producing a lifting effect thereupon.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal mid-section of the apparatus showing the same as a casing containing an assembly of pumping members and being adapted for insertion within the casing of a deep well.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the construction shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away to contract the view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the interior portion of the structure taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the angular line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section taken taken on angular line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental side elevation of a portion of one of the turbines showing also a portion of the pressure supplying conduit for driving said turbine.

Referring in detail to the drawing, in Fig. 1 is shown an assembly of pumping elements which are inserted between an upper well casing portion 8 and lower casing portion 9, it being understood that at various points below the water level throughout the length of a well casing units or assemblies of pumping elements like that shown in Fig. 1 may be inserted to provide the necessary lifting force required for pumping. On to the lower end portion of the well casing part 8 is shown screwed an adapter sleeve Ill and into the lower end of said sleeve is screwed a tubular member i I which in turn is provided at its lower end with internal screw threads which externally engage a sleeve i2. A lower adapter sleeve l3 screws externally upon the lower end of the sleeve I2 thus completing the pump casing structure shown in Fig. 1.

Axialiy within the casing construction formed as aforesaid there is mounted a pump shaft It. Said shaft is provided with a conical bearing 24 at each end. These bearing portions engage bear- 5 ing blocks 25, the upper bearing block 25 being centrally carried by an upper spider 26, said spider having arms 21 and a rim portion 23. In order to support said spider the adapter sleeve ii) is furnished with an annular internal shoulder 29 and the circular rim portion of the spider is clamped between said shoulder and the upper end of the tubular member I I when the latter is screwed into place. The bearing block 25 is seated in a recess 30 in the central portion of the spider and is adjusted as to its contact with the shaft end by means of an adjusting screw 3i which is tapped through the central portion of the spider and which is furnished with a lock nut 32. The details of construction in the lower spider 33 are shown as being the same as those in the upper spider 26, and are therefore lettered in the same way. The rim portion of the lower spider, however, is clamped in place between an annular shoulder 34 formed within the sleeve l2 and a like shoulder 35 within the lower adapter l3.

The means for utilizing air under pressure to operate the pump includes a stationary turbine member 36 consisting of an outer sleeve portion 31 and an inner vane assembly 38. With said stationary turbine 36' cooperate an upper rotatable turbine 39 and a lower rotatable turbine 40. These rotatable turbines respectively have hub portions 4| and 42 secured to the shaft Hi to rotate therewith. The specific turbine structure employed is not separately claimed and may be according to any preferred-design.

In order to conduct air under pressure tothe turbine structure which has been described an air distributing frame or open plate 45 is mounted slightly above the turbine 39, said frame having a circular rim portion 46 which is interposed between the upper end of the sleeve 31 and the shoulder 41- provided around the inner surface of the tubular member ll. Said frame 45 has a central hub portion 48 around which is supported an air distributing ring or pipe 49. Said ring is supported by the air inlet tube 50 in conjunction with the air outlet tubes 5| all of said tubes communicating with the ring in order to afford a means for supplying air under pressure to different points along the peripheral portion of the turbine structure which has already been described. The frame 45 has an annular downwardly directed part 52 around its periphery to conduct the air into a close proximity to the vanes of the upper rotating turbine 39, the air after passing across said vanes being angularly deflected in the opposite direction by means of the vane portion 38 of the stationary turbine and after passing over the latter vanes acting upon the vane portion of the lower turbine. The vanes of these various sets are, in practice, made very thin. Their thickness has been exaggerated in the drawing in order to secure clearness of illustration. The air outlet tubes 5! have jet tips 5| a.

The lower end of the sleeve 31 abuts against the upper side of a turbine supporting ring 54 which is clamped between the sleeve 31 and a lower internal annular shoulder 55 provided therefor within the sleeve l2. The air after leaving the lower blades 33 of the rotor is directed inwardly over an annular upwardly directed lip 56 with which the ring 54 is provided and is thus forced into the stream of water to exert a lifting force on the water being pumped.

Below its annular shoulder 41 the internal diameter of the tubular member H is the same as the internal diameter above the shoulder 55 of the casing sleeve l2 which is screwed into the skirt portion of said member ll. Hence a sectional jacket of uniform internal diameter is provided within which snugly fits the internal sleeve 31 which carries the stationary turbine elements.

As an additional means for producing a pumping effect upon the water, to the lower portion of the shaft I6 is secured a circular propeller member 50 furnished with vane or propeller elements 6 I. In the lower portion of said propeller element 60 is a spider-like structure 62 which has a circular rim portion 63 furnished with an external peripheral groove to receive a packing 64. The upper portion of this turbine element carries a head or face plate 65 having a row of water outlet passages 66 extending therearound near its periphery. The object of this structure is to afford a free upward flow for the Water While preventing backward iiow. There is also attached to the shaft I6, near its upper end portion, a propeller 61 which by preference and as shown is furnished with four blades 58. Said blades are in a staggered relation to each other more effectively to intermix the air and water. This propeller 61 performs not only the function of further assisting in the elevation of the liquid, but it performs the additional function of acting as an agitator or beater which operates to produce a thorough mixing of the liquid and air or other gas with the consequent formation of a sort of froth or suds, which uniform mixture of gas and liquid will rise readily to the surface through long distances under the lifting efiect of the gas without separation and tendency of the gas to by-pass the liquid in its rise. In addition to such beating action of the agitating propeller 51, 68, the arms radiating from the hubs 4! and 42 of the two rotary turbine members 39 and 40 also operate to agitate the liquid and gas mixture and produce a much more complete mixture than effected merely by the jetting of the gas into the liquid as it is directed upward by the upstanding annular lip 56. By reason of the rather effective frothing produced by the beating action of the said connecting arms of the rotary turbine combined with the agitating and beating action of the propeller blades 68, the lifting force of the gas is employed to almost the maximum degree of efiiciency so that the liquid may be elevated to relatively great heights.

I claim:

1. In a pump structure of the kind described, in combination, an upstanding tubular pump casing, vertically spaced bearings secured in said casing, a shaft having end portions journalled in said bearings centrally of said casing, a turbine structure having rotary members secured to said shaft, there being a space for liquid upflow through said turbine structure, a liquid lifting propeller secured to said shaft in an upwardly spaced relation to said turbine structure, an air distributing pipe extending around said shaft between said propeller and turbine structure, means to supply air under pressure to said pipe, a plurality of air outlet tubes leading from said pipe at various points around said shaft, and a spider like frame having a rim portion supported by said casing, said rim portion supporting said outlet tubes and pipe and having passages through which the air passes from said tubes to said turbine structure.

2. In a turbine construction, the combination, with a well casing and a turbine structure mounted therein, said structure having a peripheral portion furnished with vanes adjacent to the easing wall, there being a propeller driving shaft concentric to said casing to which said structure is secured, said structure having a central portion furnished with openings to permit upflow of the water; of an air distributing pipe extending around said shaft in a spaced relation thereto, a spider like frame having a peripheral portion in an abutting relation to the Well casing wall and a hub portion which assists in forming a bearing for said shaft, and a plurality of air delivery tubes communicating with said pipe and serving to support it above said spider like frame, said frame having air passages to convey the air from said tubes to the aforesaid turbine vanes.

3. In a pump structure of the kind described, in combination, an upstanding tubular pump casing, vertically spaced bearings secured in said casing, a shaft having end portions journaled in said bearings centrally of said casing, a turbine structure secured to said shaft and surrounding the same, said structure having peripheral assemblies of vanes which surround a space for the water to ascend, an internal sleeve surrounding the vanes of said turbine structure and carrying stationary vane elements to cooperate with movable vane elements of said turbine structure, a supporting ring underlying said internal sleeve and having an external diameter equal thereto, there being a casing sleeve the internal diameter of the upper end portion of which is enlarged thus providing an internal annular shoulder upon which the peripheral portion of said ring rests, said ring together with the lower portion of said internal sleeve fitting within the portion of said casing sleeve above its said shoulder, there being a tubular casing member having an internally threaded skirt portion which screws externally upon the upper end portion of said casing sleeve, the internal diameter of said skirt portion being greater than the internal diameter of said tubular member thereabove, said internal sleeve fitting snugly within the portion of said tubular member above its skirt portion, said tubular member having an internal downwardly directed annular shoulder in an upwardly spaced relation to its said skirt portion, and a spider member having a circular peripheral portion clamped between the upper end of said internal ring and said downwardly directed shoulder, said spider member supporting one of the aforementioned bearings, said spider member having an air inlet means to convey air from a pressure supply to said turbine structure. 7

4. A liquid lifting structure comprising in combination a vertical tubular pump casing, vertically spaced bearings in said casing, a shaft journaled in said bearings, a gas turbine having relatively stationary parts and relatively rotary parts driving said shaft, a liquid passage through said pump casing, means to supply gas to said turbine, a gas outlet from said turbine into said liquid passage, means driven by said shaft to lift liquid into said passage, and means also driven by said shaft and located above the point of gas inlet into the liquid passage for agitating the gas-liquid mixture, the rotary members of said turbine being connected with said shaft by radiating arms, said liquid passage being between said arms, said gas inlet to the liquid passage being below said arms, whereby said arms agitate the gas-liquid mixture.

WINFRED S. WHITCOMB. 

